Data and I have been friends for a while, but it wasn’t always this way. Don’t tell her, but I HATED her for a while. I thought she was stuck up, and so NEEDY! Also, I did not think I would ever meet anyone this complicated. But, once I really got to know her, I realized that she was actually a kick-@%$ lady who got the job done, and did it in style.
So, how did Data and I really become friends? Well, it started about 9 years ago, back when I was a baby teacher. I had a slight no idea what I was doing, and really the only thing keeping my head above water was my awesome teacher-friends.
Back then, I taught a first grade resource class for students who struggled in reading and/or math. My kiddos were so cute! And they tried so hard! I spent almost all my extra time working on lesson plans, making activities, and oh the hours I spent with laminate and scissors. I loved my students, and my general education team members. It was awesome! (Also, it was in Hawaii, so I spent my weekends laying on the beach. It’s better to just admit now that you are jealous. It’s ok, I’ll wait.) Those were the days….then I got a new student…and my blissful lessons were…well….non-existent.
Seriously, how many times have you had that happen? You have your class (general ed or special ed, we can ALL commiserate here) going well. The students know the rules and procedures and you have your teaching groove on….then THAT student joins your class and you might as well start your year over because all your training and classroom community just got thrown on its head.
Don’t get me wrong, we accept the new student into the fold, but nothing is the same as it was before…This is what happened when my new student joined. He was supposed to be on consultation, but we figured out by the end of the first week that that just wasn’t going to work. The student was violent, like none of us had ever seen. He was incredibly intelligent as well. He could read a room, and knew exactly which student would react the most to his particular brand of attention. By the end of the first week, the student had destroyed his general education classroom twice, threatened several students with pencils and scissors, and caused his teacher to wonder if teaching really was the profession for her.
So, for safety reasons, we convened an IEP meeting, and services were increased to help him have some “cool-down” space and smaller group time. Our hope was that these interventions would relieve the student’s anxiety. It worked….for about an hour. The issues we saw in the general education classroom were just as bad in mine. He just had less space to move. By the end of the second week, my room was destroyed…. I don’t know how many times, but I do remember going home that Friday and not having the energy to go to the beach the entire weekend. I had bruises up and down my arms from being hit, kicked, punched and bitten.
On Monday, I met with my principal and counselors and we discussed the need for Data. I hated Data. NOT in my classroom! I barely had time to get out of the way of the objects being thrown at my head! How in the world could I deal with Data in that kind of environment? Fortunately for me, cooler heads prevailed, and Data came for a visit.
The first week was horrible!
I kept forgetting her in another part of my room. I have no idea how many times I had to tape her back together, and how exactly does one lose THAT many writing implements in a half of a portable??? BUT, on Friday, after school, when I sat with my counselor and teacher friends….Data and I had survived. Not only had we survived, but we now had cold, hard proof of what we had endured that week. Seeing it written down, in it’s multi-colored, ripped glory, gave me a deeper appreciation for what I had endured that week…..and my respect for Data was forged. My colleagues looked at the information with me, and we worked out a plan to help the student (and me because being bitten REALLY hurts) in the coming week.
The second week, Data and I were on better terms. I still forgot her on my desk. I still taped her back together many times. She got me back with some really spiteful papercuts. But she helped me see what interventions were working, and which ones were a waste of my time. The team met again and decided that experts were needed. The interventions weren’t working the way they should. The student needed more than we knew how to give.
Data and I got to work.
The experts were impressed with how well we worked together. They overlooked the tape, and fact that at no point was there a consistent color pen. (Crayons look professional in a pinch right?) Data and I demonstrated that the interventions I was able to give on my own were not enough, and together we convinced the experts to pony-up for a one-on-one aide to help this student manage his behaviors. Then, month after month, Data and I teamed up to show the progress the student COULD make when he had the support he needed.
Data didn’t leave my side during the entire experience. In fact, she came back day after day, and together we started looking at my other students and their progress in academics. We put our heads together and figured out, again, what interventions were working and which were a waste of time. …But this time….This time it was fun. I started to look at Data as a friend whose insight I needed to help me do what was best to help my students get the most out of my time with them.
I won’t say that Data is my best friend…..but she has saved me countless hours of struggle, frustration, and wasted time. She has backed me up in meeting after meeting where I advocated for the services and rights of my students. She has recorded my most difficult days and most amazing triumphs. I could not do this job without her. And for this reason, Data and I will always be friends.
Want an introduction to Data?
Click the link below for a free data collection sheet, similar to the ones I have used to collect academic data for my students.
